Electrical connector device



Sept. 5, 1967 c. E. GUTSHALL ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE Filed Sept. 13, 1965 United States Patent 3,340,494 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE Charles E. Gutshall, Chicago, 111., assignor to Illinois Tool Works, Inc., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,746 Claims. (Cl. 339-95) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Electrical connector device for securing an electrical terminal against rotation and locking a threaded clamping member such as a nut or screw against loosening while maintaining good electrical contact with the terminal. The device is formed of sheet metal and has a pair of openings surrounded with teeth-like members for engaging a terminal and the work and clamping nut to which the terminal is to be connected. The device has an integral hinge so that a terminal can be sandwiched between the openings and held against removal by an integral locking device.

This invention relates generally to electric connector devices and more particularly to an electrical connector or grounding device for use in association with conventional plane or fiat type electric terminal members.

It has heretofore been common practice to telescopically apply plain or flat type sheet metal annular terminal members to a terminal post and then clamp a nut or screw head against the terminal member. There are many instances where electric terminals of the type just mentioned must be secured in position by some auxiliarly fastening device such as a lockwasher. When a lockwasher is thus clamped against a flat type electrical terminal through the agency of a nut or screw, there is a tendency to impart undesirable rotation to the terminal member. Also, when a conventional fiat type electric terminal is tightened against a painted work surface, an unsatisfactory electrical connection may result. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide means whereby an electric terminal may be tightened in position without subjecting it to rotation, and with the assurance of making a good electrical connection.

In instances where a ground connection is to be established, the use of a plane or fiat type electrical connector is not always found to be satisfactory. The present invention contemplates an electrical connector which may be used with conventional electric terminals so as to assure a positive grounding connection.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide devices of the type referred to above which will not only serve to secure the terminal against rotation and to secure a good electrical contact, but which will also function to lock a rotary threaded clamping member such as a nut or screw member against unauthorized loosening.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector device of the type referred to above which may be readily stamped and formed from sheet metal stock by the practice of conventional stamping and forming equipment.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following detailed description, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan'view of an electrical connector device embodying the present invention shown in operative association with a conventional flat type terminal member;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the connector device, said device being shown in its open position whereby to permit the initial association therewith of a terminal member;

3,340,494 Patented Sept. 5, 1967 FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the connector device as seen from the right of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 portions of the connector final parallel position;

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view showing the connector device secured in position on a terminal post by a rotary threaded fastener; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the flat prior to its being folded.

Referring to the drawing more in detail, wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be seen that the electrical connector device of the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10. This device 10 includes an annular body portion 12 and a complementary annular body portion 14 held in spaced relation therefrom through the agency of connecting hinge elements 16. Circumferentially spaced from and located at points oppositely disposed with respect to hinge members 16 on the body portion 12 is a locking member or projection 18. The body portion 14 carries integral members or fingers 20 designed to interlock with the projection 18 to prevent unauthorized lateral separation of the body portions from the spaced parallel position shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6.

Spaced along the inner margin of the body'portion 12 is a plurality of radial prongs 22. Each of these prongs is twisted or deflected so as to present work impinging teeth after the two body device have been folded to their sheet metal stamping 22a projecting beyond the outer bounding plane of the body portion 12 and terminal engaging teeth 22b projecting beyond the inner bounding plane of the body portion 12. A plurality of radial prongs 24 similar to the prongs 22, are formed integral with and extend from the inner margin of the body portion 14. These prongs 24 are likewise twisted or deflected so as to present a plurality of work engaging teeth 24a projecting beyond the outer bounding plane of the body portion 14 as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3. Terminal impinging teeth 24b project beyond the opposite or inner bounding plane of the body portion 14.

When the body portions 12 and'14 occupy the relative positions shown in FIG. 3, the apertured extremity of a terminal member 26 may be inserted between said members as illustrated in FIG. 3. The upwardly inclined body portion 12 as shown in FIG. 3 may then be swung downwardly about its hinges 16 so as to bring the element 18 into interlocking association with the fingers 20 as shown in FIGS. 2, 5 and 6. The free extremity of the terminal member 26 is provided with a screw accommodating opening 28 which is now in substantial registration with the openings defined by the inner extremities of the prongs 22 and 24. The opposite extremity of the terminal member 26 may be coupled with a conductor 30 in any suitable manner as by crimping a portion 32 thereof about the non-insulated end of the conductor 30 and by crimping a portion 34 about the insulated covering of the conductor. The fingers 20 also prevent longitudinal dislodgement of the terminal 26.

In FIG. 7 a stamping or blank is shown to illustrate the manner in which the electrical connector device 10 of the present invention may be stamped and formed from fiat sheet metal stock. After the blank has been provided, the halves thereof including the annular body portion 12 on one side and the annular body portion 14 -on the opposite side, may be folded along the central tions in spaced relation, securing means spaced from ber 26 are mounted in position upon a workpiece 36, as shown in FIG. 6, and an internally threaded fastener or nut 38 is clamped against the teeth 22a, the oppositely disposed teeth 24a dig into or impinge the surface of the workpiece 36. As the internally threaded clamping member 38 continues to be rotatably tightened, the teeth 22b of the body portion 12, as well as the teeth 24b of the body portion 14, are brought into engagement with the adjacent surfaces of the terminal member 26. The resiliency of the body portions 12 and 14 as well as the resilience of the hinge member 16 are such as to permit the inner teeth of each body .portion to be brought into locking engagement with the opposed sides of the electrical terminal member 26. The teeth 24a prevent further rotation of the device upon the work surface and therefore no rotative forces are experienced by the terminal member. Any paint or other surface coating which may be present is penetrated by of the prongs 22 and 24 so as to establish good electrical contact.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention contemplates a novel and practical solution to problems heretofore experienced in the use of conventional electrical terminals. By providing the above described receptacle for accommodating terminal members, such members are not subjected to deleterious rotation and a good electrical connection is assured because of the the sharp locking teeth firm impingement of the teeth associated with the receptacle. It should also be obvious from the above description that an electrical connector device embodying .the present invention may be produced economically without any sacrifice of its operable efficiency.

While for purposes of illustration one embodiment of the invention is described herein, it should be understood that other modifications and changes are contemplated without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. An electrical connector device including annular sheet metal body portions having aligned openings for accommodating a terminal screw member, said body portions being laterally spaced sufficiently to receive a conventional flat type electrical terminal therebetween, integral connecting means for maintaining said body porsaid connecting means along the outer periphery of the body portions for securing the body portions against unauthorized lateral separation, and work and terminal impinging teeth on each of said body portions.

2. An electrical connector device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said work and terminal impinging teeth comprise a series of prongs deflected from the material of said body portions adjacent said openings so as to present the work and terminal impinging teeth on opposite sides of the bounding planes of said body portions.

3. An electrical connector device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the body portions are laterally resilient to permit clamping thereof against a terminal member positioned therebetween.

4. An electrical connector device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the integral connecting means for maintaining the body portions in spaced relation comprises hinge means to permit one body portion to be shifted toward the other body portion about the axis of said hinge.

5. An electrical connector device including annular sheet metal body portions having aligned openings for accommodating a terminal screw member, said body portions being laterally spaced to receive a conventional flat type electrical terminal therebetween, integral hinge means connecting said body portions along a margin thereof, interlocking means oppositely disposed from said hinge means and spaced along the outer periphery of the body portions for securing the body portions against unauthorized lateral separation, and Work and terminal impinging teeth supported along the inner margins of said body portions.

6. An electrical connector device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the interlocking means comprises means associated with one of the body portions for interlocking with a complementary outer peripheral area of the other body portion. 1

7. An electrical connector device including annular sheet metal body portions adapted to be disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation and having aligned openings for accommodating a terminal screw member, hinge means coupling adjacent outer marginal portions of said body portions, a plurality of radial prongs along the inner margin of each body portion, said prongs being deflected to provide locking teeth projecting beyond the bounding planes of each body portion, the space between said body portions being suflicient to accommodate a conventional flat type electrical terminal, and cooperating interlocking means along the outer margin of said body portions oppositely disposed to said hinge means to prevent unauthorized lateral separation of said body portions.

8. In combination with a conventional flat type electrical terminal having a screw accommodating aperture, a receptacle for receiving the apertured extremity of said terminal, said receptacle including sheet metal body portions having aligned openings superimposing the complementary opening in the electrical terminal, said body portions being in juxtaposition with respect to said electrical terminal, integral spacing means connecting said body portions along their outer periphery, securing means circumferentially spaced from said connecting means along the outer periphery of the body portions for securing said body portions against lateral separation, said housing being secured against longitudinal separation from said electrical terminal, and work and terminal impinging teeth on each of said body portions.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein the means for preventing lateral separation of said body portions also serves as means for preventing axial separation of the electrical terminal member and receptacle.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a pair of spaced finger portions on a first body portion which are adapted to be snapped over a marginal portion of a second body portion to secure said first and second body portions to each other, said spaced finger portions being separated from each other by a distance less than the maximum width of the portion of the electrical terminal received between said first and second body portions for preventing longitudinal separation of the connector and terminal.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,878,199 9/1932 Stenger 15135 3,190,333 6/1965 Lanius 15135 3,285,313 11/1966 Blakesley 151 35 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR DEVICE INCLUDING ANNULAR SHEET METAL BODY PORTIONS HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS FOR ACCOMMODATING A TERMINAL SCREW MEMBER, SAID BODY PORTIONS BEING LATERALLY SPACED SUFFICIENTLY TO RECEIVE A CONVENTIONAL FLAT TYPE ELECTRICAL TERMINAL THEREBETWEEN, INTEGRAL CONNECTING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID BODY PORTIONS IN SPACED RELATION, SECURING MEANS SPACED FROM SAID CONNECTING MEANS ALONG THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE BODY PORTIONS FOR SECURING THE BODY PORTIONS AGAINST UNAUTHORIZED LATERAL SEPARATION, AND WORK AND TERMINAL IMPINGING TEETH ON EACH OF SAID BODY PORTIONS. 